Corrupted
by demonkid446
Summary: A dark knight from Ordalia is sent to Ivalice on a mission of assassination, but she fails and must find refuge from those who brand her as a traitor, where will she find it? Full summary inside
1. Chapter 1

_A Dark knight from Ordalia travels to Ivalice on a mission of assassination. However, when she fails to complete this mission, she cannot return and is promptly branded as a traitor. Seeking refuge from those who wish to end her life, she joins a group of warriors who fight for a cause that soon spirals out of control in a tale of Corruption, betrayal, manipulation and death. How will she fair?_

_I Only Own My OCs_

* * *

The blood curdling scream was audible throughout the whole forest. A knight, dressed in dark armor, winced, though the action remained hidden, as her face was not visible due to her concealing helmet. The monk in front of her did not cease his cries of agony, leading her to release a shuddering sigh. Stepping over to him as he rolled on the ground, clutching his head, she silenced his screams with a swift blade to the throat. His body twitched a bit, but soon ceased and remained still, lifeless. The woman clad in dark armor looked at the others who died by her hand. Two thieves, three knights, an archer and the monk she just killed. Sheathing her blood tattered Defender, she effectively walked around the corpses barring her path and began her trek back home. '_Mission accomplished'_ she mentally noted. I didn't take her but a few minutes to navigate her way out of the Black Forest. It lived up to it's name, as no sunlight passed through the vast and tall, but dead, trees. Due to this, it became pitch black at night and temperatures reached an extreme low. Undead monsters originated from this cursed forest many thousand years prior to the time, but since then they'd spread all over the world. None pf this bothered the young knight though. She was merely 18 years old, yet she conquered this forest time and again with ease. The Dark knight looked at the sunset upon stepping out of the dark woods, sparring it a lingering gaze before continuing on her way, a large stone castle in sight. It took her about a half an hour to get to the large wooden gates of the castle, which were already open, waiting for her return. The castle was quite large in size, and there were several ways to get lost in it. The girl however, knew where she was going and how to get there. Not bothering to knock or even ask for permission, she entered the audience room, looking at the King who sat at his throne.

"Ah Krys, you've returned." he spoke in an elderly voice. He had lived for a long time, as he was currently 68 years old, and it showed with his slight wrinkles and aging voice. Krys did not respond, continuing to look at him. "I assume you return successful?."

"Indeed" she spoke. Her voice was naturally low and authoritive, which always lead people to believe she was older than she actually was. She took her helmet off, revealing what many people could only describe as a near-perfect face. Her eyes where a blood-red color, which was incredibly uncommon. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight and neat bun. "the trespassers have been dispatched. 'Twas not a challenge, merely an exercise." she explained.

"I thought as much. Your skill remains unmatched Krys. I am impressed." The king smiled at Krys, who just stared back. "Dismissed."

Without a word or even a bow of respect, Krys pivoted and left the audience chamber. A nearby male samurai cried out in frustration. "Liege, must you allow her to treat thy presence with such disrespect?" he asked.

"Respect..." The king began. "Respect is not of the same meaning to her as it is you and I. Her actions are deemed rude by many, however the path that is the Dark Knight holds no time for such frivolities."

"My lord-" the samurai began in protest but was promptly cut off.

"Know you the magicks she learned to obtain the powers of darkness? Know you the mastery of mind and body that drives her sword? Know you the pain and suffering a Dark knight must feel in order to use their abilities?" the king did not yell, but he was obviously scolding the samurai, who opened his mouth to respond before closing it again.

"Indeed you do not know. No one, save her is aware. She uses powers lost to us. Powers that stirs dead from their slumber. While you may best her in a battle of the Katana, standing alone with your abilities confronting hers would see you a quick defeat. Such power is indeed formidable, yet it comes at a price. Do you agree?" the samurai nodded. Krys was well-known for being cold and masking up any emotion she felt. She was not merciful to anyone who stood in her way, though no one actually knew what went on through her head. "Right, It is far from my intentions to trouble her with much more a burden such as the need to show unnecessary respect. Addressing your earlier comment, what she exhibits is not disrespect, but mere indifference, and that has always been her nature." the king finished, turning away from the samurai to silently say that there was no more room for discussion. But the samurai wouldn't have it.

"Your majesty, I still think-"

"Know your Place William!" was what cut him off. This time the king did yell. "This throne becomes yours only when my health fails me! I have no time for you petty little complaints as to how I run Ordalia, you will soon have you chance. Until such a time comes, I forbid any further protest as to how I perform my duties!" William froze for a second before bowing in respect and leaving the room.

...

Krys kneeled in front of the grave, running her hand over it to get rid of any dust. "Father...would you be pleased by the path I've taken? You pleaded me against following this blood-stained path that you followed. I did not understand what you meant, but It soon came to me when I used this power, the grief, the pain, the tears that flooded me as I struck down my first enemy with a technique of darkness. Crushing blow, it was called. Long ago have I lost count of how many lives fell at the end of it." Never one to show her emotions in front of others, Krys always waited until she was alone with her fallen father to let her wall down. Her tears fell as she silently mourned her actions that evening.

_"Stay your arms, I'd sooner wish you away than kill you." Krys commanded the group that surrounded her. _

_"HAHA! You've no means of escaping our attacks and you worry for _us?_" one knight asked incredulously, readying his sword. _

_"I warned you..." Krys said, fingering the handle of her defender. Two of the three knights took this as hostility an lunged at her. Sidestepping and avoiding one strike, she drew her defender and blocked the other. Without hesitation she used her defender, swinging it against the long sword, the defender was always made to be sturdy and the shear strength of it coupled with Krys' already inhuman strength hit the sword with incredible force ,shattering the blade of it. _

_There was a gasp and a look of horror on the knight's face as he looked at here now useless sword. Krys heard two sets of footsteps coming closer from behind her as the third knight along with the other lunged for her. Krys sighed, holding her hand up. A millisecond passed and several bolts of red lightning fell from the sky, striking the knights away from her. _

_The archer took aim and fired two arrows her way, both of which she blocked effortlessly. One of the thieves threw a shuriken at her, Not expecting this, she jumped back to avoid it. "Training as a Ninja as well." she concluded. It didn't take that long before she felt a blunt pain on her left side as the monk punched her. Krys sighed; she had little time for their games. The archer readied another barrage of arrows and Krys decided on a course of action. Taking her Defender in her hands, she held it out in front of her, shoving the monk away with her left hand. "Blade of blood, reveal thy true nature and halt all who oppose you. Crushing Blow!" she swung her defender in the archer's direction as it sent out several pulses of energy that surrounded the archer before closing in on him. He cried out in pain but it was cut short as he remained stopped in time, blood running down his forehead and from his open mouth. Krys turned to one thief and delivered a swift kick to his stomach, before burying her sword where she kicked. He coughed up a fit of blood and fell down to the ground. The monk near her gasped in shock and she left him be for the time being. _

_Turning to the knights, who were desperately trying to recover from the lightning that struck them all, she lunged at them, and one by one, cut through them with her defender, effectively killing them all. Now that she was done with them, the monk got up and sent a shockwave of energy from his fist. Krys smirked, though they couldn't see it, and dissolved the wave with a swing of her sword. The standing thief was upon her by now, holding his knife at her neck. _

_"It's over toots..." he said. Though Krys was not facing him, she could feel his satisfied smirk. _

_"Really?" she asked, before grabbing the knife from his hand at unthinkable speeds, and shoving it into his chest. He gasped and tried to cry out as he fell backwards to the ground. The monk was trying futile to heal the other thief with an x-potion, but the thief couldn't gather enough strength to swallow. The monk seemed to forget about her as she sent a dark wave of energy that flew into his head. The monk's eye's widened and he fell to the ground, clutching his head in agony. The thief's eyes widened as well as he watched his ally have what seemed to be a seizure, but was in fact worse. Krys spared herself the burden of explaining as she stabbed the thief once more, killing him._

_..._

"Was it right?" she asked herself more than the grave, before shaking her head. "Nonsense, it was with good intentions that I warned them, and they ignored, by no means should I mourn them." she said harshly, her frigid demeanor returning. She stood and looked down at the grave "goodbye for now." and with that, she made her way back to the castle

* * *

_So What do you think? That's the end of the first chapter, bear with me, as the main characters will begin showing up soon. It would mean a lot if you reviewed, but be gentle, no flames. CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's the next chapter!_

_I only own my OCs_

* * *

William groaned in irritation, walking at a steady pace. He lead a company of specialists from the castle, they were to head to Portrand Trade city and investigate reports of thievery in the area. Behind him was a master summoner by the name of Astrid, the woman was rebellious and easily irratated, and she made it plainly clear that she didn't like William, her hair was bronze color, extending down past her shoulder blades slightly. Though she be called a master summoner by all of those arround her, the only spirits she actually called upon were Leviathan and cloak that went over her lavender dress was a violet color, and she was armed with various protective bangles and a Dragon Rod, she also applied a perfume called Sortilege that created two protective barriers around her constantly, protect and shell. It was far from being a very feminine scent, but William found it pleasent none the less.

Two ninjas he didn't care about also acompanied them. They were twins, one was called Thomas, the other Jonathan. Bothe were male, and both stood at a hieght of 5'8, just 2 two inches shorter than him. Thomas had versed himslef in several geomancy techniques, while Jonathan was an expert at the arts of theivery. William never approved of either of them, it didn't matter to him that they always carried they wieght, it mattered more to him that Thomas didn't respect authority often, and that Jonathan was a side theif. But it wasn't his choice in the matter, he'd just have to deal with them, though he never got why the never uncovered their faces.

A young boy that was skilled in black magicks and mystic magicks was also chosen to go. If William remembered correctly, the boy went by the name of Whyt, but by no means was that his real name. He had silver hair that was always cut in a manner that framed his face in the front, but spiked out in the back. Whyt wore traditional black mage garbs, and also wore a pointed hat, though it didn't render his face in shadows like other black mages, though his yellow eyes had the glow of one .The boy always confused William, which lead him to the last person joining them. Guarding the rear, was none other than Krys, He detested the woman with every fiber of his being. What confused him about Whyt was that he spent a multitude of time with Krys. Whyt, for lack of better words, was mature for his age. Though it didn't even rival Krys', the boy also had a somewhat harsh disposition, but was still merely a 14 year old, and it often showed .Normally, the six of them would not go on an assignment together, but the reports were severe enough that the king felt that they all needed to be there. William didn't understand it, mere theives weren't even worthy of his katana, and yet he was leading the group to do combat with them, surely they couldn't be _that_ strong.

"I'll say it once more William." Astrid started, obviously not happy. "This pace halts our mission by quite some time, it would be wise to make haste." Astrid was unhappy with the slow pace they all had taken, though no one outwardly agreed with, William could tell that they all had similar feelings. But that didn't mean he'd change his mind.

"Remind me Astrid." he started coldly, turning to face her "who exactly holds the authority of this mission?" Receiving a scowl in return, William turned and looked ahead at the upcoming city. It was fairly large for a trade city, and most of the structures were constructed by a mixture of wood and brick. There was a circular wall surrounding the city with a gate at the southmost point only. Though it be inconvenient, it made catching criminals easy in the city. "We approach it from a good 300 or so paces" he started, turning to face them "We continue on at this pace, and we'll be there within the next 2 hours." He decided.

"Or we could increase our pace, and arrive premature to the next move by the theives." Astrid countered.

"Astrid, am I to believe that you are questioning my decision?" William walked up to her, standing in her face. "This implies that you disrespect my authority, yet again. Surely you jest in your assumption that I value your opinion. Punishment is in order and it will be implemented. Krys?" William spat, looking expectantly at the Dark knight. Though he could not see her face, due to her helmet, her could see her head turn to look at Astrid.

Astrid braced herself for the attack, she and Krys were on aquiantence terms, but she knew that Krys didn't think of her as close enough to disobey orders for. However, Astrid didn't blame Krys, she herself only just bagen talking to the teen a few months previous. There was a swift movement from behind her, and she felt a terrible pain in her stomach as Krys punched her. Astrid doubled over and nearly fell to the ground from the pain. She didn't need to look up to know William was smirking, the reason he always chose Krys to do it was because she was the only other woman in the group, but Astrud would have preferred Thomas or Jonathan hit her rathers than Krys.

"Know your place Astrid." William said simply, turning and walking towards the city, motioning them to follow. Astrid looked up and caught the sympathetic looks the 3 boys shot her as they walked pass her. Before she knew it, there was a hand extended towards her. Astrid gave a small smile and accepted Krys' hand, standing up.

"Thank you Krys." Asrtid said sincerely, receiving a nod in return. "Say Krys..." Astrid began, looking at the dark knight. "How come you follow William's orders like you do? With you being of the exact rank as he, there is naught that obligates you to listen to him."

"It is simple, acting differently will cause him to have a greater disdain for me." was the reply

Astrid frowned, Krys was not the type to care about things like that. "Why do you worry about it?"

"His relationship to me is one of single-sided dislike, if I cause that dislike to grow stronger, he will act against me more, which will eventually cause it to be a relationship of mutual dislike." Krys elaborated.

"But you don't have to respond to his disdain of you." Astrid tried.

"Correct, I do not, but there is only so long where someone who dislikes you acts against you and you can remain unresponsive. I would eventually dislike him back and I have no need for that type of relationship."

"Krys, I am afraid I fail to follow."

"A relationship of mutual feelings, be it positive or negative, only leads to hurt." if Astrid could see Krys' face through her helmet, she would have saw the hurt that developed in her eyes.

"Krys.." Astrid reached out to place her hand on Krys' shoulder, but was brushed off.

"A relationship of mutual fondness can be the worst hurt of all." the dark knight spoke softly, turning and walking to catch up with the rest of the group, leaving Astrid to mull over her strange words.

* * *

Not as long as the first one, but still acceptable in my eyes, sorry for being a sucky updater, I'll try and do better.


	3. Chapter 3

_Here's the next chapter!_

_I only own my OCs_

* * *

If there was anything that Whyt noticed about William, it was that he was unfit to lead anyone. The man was a selfish brute who abused his power. He believed that since he was the only samurai of the castle, that he was so form of a genius. Whyt himself was considered a prodigy, his skill with magic was unmatched, his age had nothing to do with his rank, which was just a few steps below Krys and William, he could easily step up to their ranks, but he had no intention of taking on the burden of being frequently partnered with William as Krys was. The samurai was a spoiled brat, but he did know his way around the battle field, what mad him a difficult ally was his tendency to showboat if the scale tipped in their favor. He'd surely underestimate the thieves they were to eliminate, so the rest of their party would have to jump in and save his ass when the time came. Whyt kept this in mind as he chewed on a bit of cheese. The inn they were staying in was far to fancy and high up for his tastes, the walls were washed in a beige color that went well with the brown tiles of marble he walked on. They arrived at the town about an hour ago, and each went separate ways after supper, looking out for any suspicious activity. Whyt had not ate at supper, rather waited until it was over to pick up food from a tavern nearby, the food in the high standard place was incredibly over-cooked with the intention of removing any impurities at all, fit for rich nobles that preferred to stay sickeningly thin, he himself had no care for that, he'd been raised as a soldier all his life, and as such was not normally picky about what he ate, but one of the lamb chops at dinner changed that, the meat was tough and almost injured his teeth, and there was no taste whatsoever, just an after-taste of something burnt. Whyt was currently walking through the halls of the inn, listening for any hint of who they were to kill. That was a habit their king had, he was gentle with all people of his nation who he was allied with, but if he was made an enemy, he'd have them killed, no hesitation. Whyt often wondered if William's psychological problems (in Whyt and Astrid's opinion) had something to do with his family dynamics, it was always a possibility.

"EAAGH!" came a shrill scream from outside. '_that's our cue..._' Whyt thought to himself, turning and running down the steps and out of the inn. He scanned the shocked faces of the townspeople for his allies. The thieves hadn't waited until night time, that was odd, it was barely sunset yet. His thoughts were interrupted as he saw five figures dash expertly through the crowd in towards the west part of town, he smirked as he ran to catch up and fell into step beside Astrid.

"Our thieves are either sloppy, or it is a trap." Astrid said with looking at him.

"Perhaps they fancy themselves a little too much. I'd not be shocked if it were a trap, but what if it is naught but an ego trip?" Whyt suggested.

"Hmm?" Astrid made a confused sound, looking at him now.

"Placing ones self upon an imaginary pedestal can be dangerous, perhaps they're simply overconfident of their abilities, or didn't expect any one to come for them." Whyt explained. Astrid looked upwards then, not fully as to keep her vision from in front of her as they ran towards the scream.

"It's a possibility, and I'm sure we shall find out now." Astrid said, coming to a stop near Thomas. Whyt also stopped, scanning their surroundings vigilantly, they were on the out skirts of town, where a large farmhouse was. Their was a plantation field to his right, near Thomas and Astrid, William stood in the front of course, his katana in both hands in a defensive position. Krys was a bit behind him, her defender sheathed, but her hand gripped the hilt. Jonathan was to his left, his hands in a position to draw things to throw. In front of the farmhouse, stood a male thief in black clothing with a dark colored cloak on, and assassin's dagger in his left hand. Behind the thief were two male knights, each with a sword enchanted by the powers of the sleep spell, they were rouge as the capes normally attached to their armor were torn to shreds. There was also an Orator, who didn't seem to be armed, he looked to be waiting for something.

"Well, well? Now lookie here, not the regular rabble eh? We've got a couple'a elites on our asses now?" The thief spoke, spitting on the ground.

"Tis your last day to see sunlight, vermin. Unless you want me to stain my blade with your blood, I propose you come quietly and serve you sentence." William threatened, inching forward some.

"Nah, truth is my friend, yer gonna die out here t'day."

"Make good on your threat then." Krys challenged, drawing her sword, it's gold color gleaming in the sunset light. "One of our companies will die here today, I do no intend it to be ours."

"Ya buncha stuck up bitches!" the thief was suddenly angry now. "Ye have no idea what you and yer godd for nothing king put us through, don't threaten us! It won't make any difference, we're gonna kill you!"

"That's were you're mistaken." Krys spoke softly. "I don't make threats, I make promises."

* * *

Sorry It's so short, but the next chapter will be the longest of the bunch, due to some plot development


	4. Chapter 4

_Here we go with a new chapter!_

* * *

William almost flicnhed at the look the head thief sent Krys, it was the most ferocious glare he'd ever seen in his life, a dangerous glint in his eyes, Krys didn't appear to have an issue with looking him in the eye, William could tell as her helmet was absent.

"Promises?" the man began with a snarl "Promises? Don't ya fukin talk ta me bout promises! How bout the shit bout endin some hunger yer king blabbed all about? Well, what 'appened ta that promise?" he screamed. Krys stared right back at him.

"I realize you lose hold of your emotion now. But surely you jest?" she spoke. The thief stopped then, looking at her with an odd look. "Promises of such a standard are not made in hopes of keeping them, rather blurted out with intention of receiving support as a collateral." her words were like ice, each one spoken with such indifference that William could see was hurting the thief. "Fools likes you do not comprehend that _if_ that promise is to even be kept, it takes time. You plunder and rob while committing murder...For what? This pathetic ideology you seem to have that disrupting order gets you your way?" Krys let out a dry laugh then. "It's something akin to pitiful, like a child engaging in a tantrum at the cause of him being upset." She took a step forward. "The only reward that your actions govern is execution, of which we are here to carry out, your tantrum has failed, little boy."

William had never seen anyone lose control like he had that day.

"You Bitch!" the thief had screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. He let out a shrill cry and charged for Krys, his knife at the ready, yelling out obscenities and wailing miserably. His companions called for him to calm down as Krys dodged the first blow, but he wouldn't hear it. He lunged again violently, swinging the assassin's dagger around wildly. Krys ducked under the attack and ended up behind the broken man, elbowing him in his arm, causing him to drop the weapon. He let out another heart wrenched cry, turning and lunging at Krys.

Only to be impaled on her awaiting defender.

He let out a strained gurgle. William recognized that Krys did not strike at the place in which could Kill him, it was a little off to the side, he'd survive with aid of an x-potion or a 3rd domain healing spell. Krys did not end it though, merely pushed his body off her blade, looking down at him for a moment.

...

Krys felt her heart strings pulling tightly, her cruel words hurting herself, when the thief lunged wildly to attack her, his will broken and his heart in no better shape, Krys had made an instant decision.

She would not kill this man.

With this in mind, she aimed her strike to the right, her sword scraping path his ribs, possibly fracturing one or two, but not giving him a blow that would end his life. When his body hit the ground, she looked down at his narrow face, his build was sickly, his eyes were struggling to stay open, auburn irises looking up at her with hatred. His face was strangely devoid of facial hair, clean and smooth. Krys felt like she recognized the man, but she couldn't focus on that now. She looked down at him, meeting his eyes, and pulled at the back of her mind to call upon a spell she hadn't used in ages. She could hear and outraged sound behind her, no doubt from William, as she invoked a cure spell that very slightly healed the wound. The thief's eyes widened and looked at her in confusion. She merely looked up at the rest of his company.

"Krys!" William snarled, coming up next to her. "Why did you do that?"

"Fool." Krys spoke without turning to him. "Your father specified his preference to return with one alive. Whom more fit than the commander?" At this, the thief's eyes narrowed back in suspicion. William stared upwards in thought before gesturing Whyt over.

"Watch the thief." was his order when the boy stopped next to him. He received a nod in return, and Krys mentally sighed. There was no such order, in fact the King had specified that they all be killed, but that was once again a proof that William had atrocious listening skills. Not like Whyt, who gave her a knowing look. She knew that Jonathan, Thomas, and Astrid noticed her lie as well. She'd have to explain later, luckily they trusted her judgment. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the knights at the ready, swords held in a familiar stance. The name escaped her, but she'd seen William utilize it several times, it was a iado stance that involved gripping the sword in a certain way with both hands. It granted more leverage and better strength in the swing, but if they were mere petty thieves, they shouldn't know such a stance. Krys' red eyes narrowed with the revelation.

These were not normal thieves. The first knight lunged for William, whom had drawn his Kotetsu just in time to block. But something was wrong, Williams knees uncharacteristically buckled, and his right hand was gripping the blade so tightly, Krys thought the skin might peel and reveal bone. William's face was twisted into a tense concentration. The knight's blow was so strong that William's strength was failing him. _Definitely not ordinary thieves_ Krys thought, moving to assist William.

Astrid looked on in shock as Jonathan's leg was cut deep into by the other knights sword. She could see that the swords enchantment of sleep was taking affect as Jonathan slumped over helplessly. The knight was ready to follow up with a strike when a shuriken scratched off his bronze armor. The knight turned to look at Thomas, before charging for him. Astrid looked over at the Orator, who appeared to be nervously waiting for something. Finding that she was tired of watching him, she focus reaching through her mind to another plane of existence. She heard several whispers tugging at her mind, but she located the summon she wanted. Astrid began chanting the necessary incantation to aid her mental tug at pulling the beast through the dimensions.

Whyt looked out of the corner of his eyes at the thief struggling to stand. It must have been difficult considering Whyt was sitting on him, applying a bit of pressure to his wound. "Futile." the black mage spoke. "Why struggle? I can easily claim the life Krys has decided to spare for whatever motive."

"Whada ya mean? She don' give a damn 'bout me? Just wants a prisner.." the thief replied. Whyt tilted his head to the side before responding.

"Inaccurate." he said. "I know not why she's decided to spare you, just know that our objective has nught to do with taking a captive, quite the opposites actually."

"Ah shadup." the thief spat "why would she save me fer no reason?"

"I know not."

"Whateva, purty stuck up fer a kid ain't ya, betcha jus bullshittin me an' ya got a plan with 'er or somethin." the thief replied scathingly. Whyt gave an exasperated sigh.

"Just so you comprehend my validity and how serious I am" Whyt started, pressing a bit jmore on the theif's wound, earning a groan of pain "I'm going to speak in your tongue." he finished.

"Eh? My tongue-"

"Listen, dumbass, I don't know why she wants you alive" Whyt cut in, all respectful speak abandoned "But she does, and your shitting on her being nice to your sorry ass ain't gonna change a thing. You'll live, but whether or not I take one of your limbs away because you're so damn annoying, I haven't decided yet." The thief appeared to be rightfully shocked, as he said nothing in return and just stared at the boy.

Krys' Crushing Blow had not killed nor stopped the knight in time, it only provided a slight distraction for William to regain his bearings and fight back. Krys concentrated on the knight, whom clashed with William, mentally taking a black magick spell and splitting it, attaching darkness to it, the process was simple really, she invoked a spell, but instead of casting it, she stalled it and changed the composition, a skill known only to the most powerful black mages, she could only do so with one spell at the moment, Whyt was much more adept at magick splicing. The new resulting spell was ready, and then Krys released the Dark Thundara spell, the red bolts of lighting heading for the knight. The attack connected, and the knight was stunned long enough for William to successfully place a powerful cut through the knight's abdomen. The bronze armor did not provide much protection, and blood spurted out of the deep wound onto William's sword and right arm. Krys saw her chance, rushing and stabbing upwards into the wound.

The knight released a cry of pain, falling to the ground and laying still on the ground. William looked at Krys, meeting his blue eyes with hers in a silent 'thank you' he would never speak out loud. Krys understood and nodded. The was a screech and a sweltering heat that enveloped the battlefield as the summon Salamander scorched the remaining knight with unspeakably hot flames. Krys turned to see Astrid coming down from the high of summoning, her dilated pupils returning to normal.

It was something that happened when summoning, the casters mind temporarily separated from the body to make room for the summon to appear. It was something like a chain, the mind left the body, manifesting as three green magick orbs, each having a mental chain of sorts that pulled the summon through the dimensional barriers. The more powerful the summon, the longer it took for the mind to return. Krys had experienced the sensation once, Whyt had several times, and Astrid experienced it on a regular basis. There was always risk if something went wrong, summoning was a dangerous magick to use if not practiced, which is why it took longer to perfect a summon than any other magick.

Krys looked over to see Jonathan slumped under the affects of sleep, and Thomas laying on the ground a few feet away, a pool of blood beneath him. "Thomas." she spoke, jogging over to him. Astrid came to look over her shoulder with William, "Phoenix Down." she ordered quickly, seeing that Thomas was fading. Phoenix Downs and Reviving abilities were used when the person was on the threshold of dying, not yet dead but not exactly alive either, somewhere in between, close to death but still hanging on. A phoenix down was placed in Krys' gloved hand and she drew a match, lighting it a burning the feather. As the feather burned, it's ashes, glowing an orange color, swirled over Thomas and engulfed him. A second later, he too in a ragged breath before slumping back.

"You have my gratitude." he said to Krys hoarsely. She nodded in return, handing him an x-potion for his many wounds.

"Krys..." came Whyt's nervous voice. She turned to see his eyes wide open, him staring at something behind them. They turned to see the Orator regarding them with a smirk.

A Behemoth at his side.

It growled menacingly, eyeing each of them with viscious eyes.

"By the gods..." Astrid whispered. It was no ordinary behemoth, it was much larger than normal ones, and muscle bulged from beneath the purple fur, a sign of immense power. Immediately she bowed her head, obviously preparing to summon again. Krys looked at the monster, gripping her sword tightly. She shared a look with William, both nodding and lunging forward. Krys swung her blade at it's right front leg, making a very shallow cut. It screeched and stomped on the ground, the force sending her rolling across the ground. William moved past the beast, running for the Orator. Said person whistled eerily, the sound echoing, and the behemoth turned to swiped at William, knocking him back several meters. He hit the ground with a loud thud and the sound of bending armor. Krys looked at the Orator, she'd heard of them coercing monsters to their side, but having actual control over them? This was dangerous.

Suddenly, the behemoth cried out as it was hit with a powerful firaga spell. Krys looked over at the source, sending Whyt an appreciative gaze. She invoked her crushing blow ability, the magick orbs closing on the behemoths right front leg. There was a crack and then the behemoth roared, turning and hitting Krys with it's tail, she flew across the ground, crashing into the nearby barn.

"Krys!" she heard Jonathan's tener voice, so he was awake finally. There was a rumble as Leviathan's Tsunami poured over over the feild, drenching her allies but crushing the behemoth to the ground with unrelenting water pressure. Krys stood up, the water on the field was ankle deep, a side-effect of te incredible power that was Leviathan. She saw Thomas stand on the surface of the water, seeing it swirl around him before shooting out at the Orator, blasting him backwards into a nearby boulder. A geomancy technique he could call on due to the new terrain. She saw Whyt, soaked to the bone, dragging the thief away from the field. He had to knock him out for whatever reason then. Astrid was casting a spell, from the looks of it, it wasn't a summoning ritual, meaning she was about to use her limited array of time magicks, Leviathan had taken too much out of her then. Jonathan delivered several quick cuts to te behemoths back as it tired to rise desperately. William had risen and buried his Kotetsu into the beast's right hind leg, and was currently reaching in his armor for his Ashura.

"Krys, I require cover!" William cried, his voice strained in pain, which was when Krys noticed the blood dripping from his legs, the impact with the ground earlier must have caused Ashura to pierce him.

"Right." Krys replied, charging forward and cutting at the behemoths right eye. It screeched loudly and Krys saw Thomas running off behind it while Jonathan was cutting into it's back with his ninja blades. The puddle across the field left by Leviathan quickly began running red with the behemoths dark blood, and some of theirs as well. The behemoth managed to get back on it's feet, but Astrid was done preparing, and she quickly casted a time magick that bounded the behemoths hind legs to the ground with paralyzing sparks. It thrashed desperately as William ran by it's face delivering a violent gash across it's cheek, It roared, throwing it's front legs out, knocking Krys, William and Jonathan onto them, but it wasn't done yet, Krys' breath left her quickly as the behemoth lifted all three, tossing them high up into the sky. Words cannot describe the pain Krys felt as all three of them impact the ground with sickening thuds and slight splashes, there was not enough water to even remotely cushion the blow.

"Krys!" she heard Astrid cry, but it was dull. Her whole body ached with agonizing pain, she could feel various broken bones as well. She turned her head stiffly to her right, seeing William lay unconscious, his sword several feet away from him. Then to the left, where Jonathan was dying, his legs were twisted at impossible angles, there was blood running from underneath him, he had likely landed on one of his sharp tools, and his eyes were closed, a large bruise already forming over his left eye. The impact had knocked off his face guard, and Krys looked at the handsome face, very youthful with shaggy brown hair, which appeared red with blood. Krys swallowed tightly, Jonathan most likely had a concussion too. He was in desperate need of a phoenix down. She then looked forward to see the Orator lying with a knife in his neck, Thomas standing over him. The behemoth roared once more, thrashing to escape the time magicks hold.

Suddenly, the sky went red for a second as the behemoth cried at the mercy of a powerful flare spell. Immediately after, several ice crystals ran the creature through. It fell to the ground, convulsing for a moment before stopping. The field was covered in blood and water by now, and Krys saw Whyt applying a larger phoenix down to Jonathan, and felt some lift her up, the pain was too much to bear, and she passed out instantly.

* * *

Krys awoke in a bed, her head aching terribly. "Ugh..." she groaned.

"You've awakened." Astrid said, walking in the room, she appeared to be exhausted, by the the bags underneath her eyes and her slow walk. She had abandoned her combat clothes, settling on wearing a plain white dress.

"What happened?" Krys sat up, ignoring the terrible pain at her right side.

"Careful." Astrid chastised softly. "You've four broken ribs Krys, don't push yourself."

"Don't worry." Krys assured, not wanting to speak of injuries. This did not go unnoticed by Astrid.

"Thomas carried you here, I had to drag William while Whyt dragged both the thief and Jonathan, we are at the inn." she explained, answering Krys question.

Said Dark Knight looked over at the bed next to hers, seeing Jonathan lying unconscious. The was a nasty bruise over top his left eye, which was likely swollen shut, his head was wrapped and there were several bandages wrapped around his body, his legs held in place by two pairs of metal splints. It wasn't surprising to Krys, where bones where concerned, magicks could only ease pain and barely speed up the healing process. Bones for the most part had to be reset naturally on their own.

"William and Whyt reside in the next room with the thief, Thomas went to fetch some food." Astrid spoke.

Krys nodded, getting up out of the bed despite Astrid's protests, and finding her chest and mid-section wrapped in bandages. Her legs were stiff and it took a moment to get her wits about her before she could walk, but when she could, she pulled on a simple black dress and walked with Astrid to the next room. William sat with his arm in a sling in on of the chairs, while Whyt slept curled up on the couch, it often escaped Krys sometimes exactly how young he was. William looked at her when she walked in.

"Ah, you've awoken, here, you may have time with this knave as you see fit." with that, he stood and walked into the bedroom, Astrid following him. Krys made eye contact with the thief. His hands were bound behind him and his legs were bound to the chair he sat on. Krys walked up to him, analyzing him once more before coming to a conclusion.

"What is the truth?" she asked.

"Eh?"

"The truth." she repeated.

"Eh? Da truth? The hell ya talkin' 'bout lady?" he asked in a confused tone of voice. Krys sighed.

"The truth in regards to your faction." she sat across from him, "the reports say you plunder copious quantities of food and gil each night." she reached out to touch his face, feeling an odd buzz when her bare hand touched the skin. "Yet you look starved and impoverished. Why?"

He snorted in return. "Ain't it obvious? We dont keep what we take." he said simply. Realization dawned on Krys then.

"So your thievery is for others, not yourselves." she concluded.

"Yeah." he said coldly "Yeah it is. Da crown dont do jack shit fer these hungry folks out here, yet dem nobles eat like fat, disgustin pigs each night."

"Noble intentions." Krys said blankly. "But I'd like to enlighten myself as to who you are.."

"Eh?" he cocked his head to the side. Krys eyed him carefully, her mind briefly flahing to an MIA board in the castle.

"Volkochev Dressner." she said abruptly. The color drained from the thief's face at the mention of hi real name. "You are of the four Captains that went missing two months past."

Volkochev briefly entertained the though of denying her assumption, but found that it was pointless. He sighed. "How'd ya figure?"

"Your familiar face, we ran a training drill together once." Krys responded. "Place that with the knights advanced combat skills, it is not difficult. They and the Orator are were the other three, correct?"

"Yea" Volkochev looked at her then "I must say, Lady Krys, ya make one hell of a soldier, I had heard rumors, but damn...you got da shit." he complimented. Krys just stared back at him.

"My appreciation, but why did you all go rogue?" she responded. Vollkochev's face took a disgusted look then.

"Dem experiments, Lady Krys, de were horrible, we left and saw what things were like for da less fortunate, and we wanted ta change it." he said sincerely, and Krys nearly felt bad for them.

"Experiments?"

"Yea. It's real undaground, dey use these strange stones filled wit magick, I dunno da specifics but it's supposed to fuse magciks wit yer body an make ya stronger, dat's why yer attacks ain't do much to da knights." he explained.

Krys gave him a confused look. "Like magick casters?" she asked.

Volkochev shook his head. "Naw, Magick Casters got magicks coursin through their veins an' mind. Dis shit alters yer whole composition, It's a direct part of ya when they done, it's why I can't grow any hair anymore, my body chemistry is all fucked."

"What happens with these experiments?"

"Dey wanna create 'n army of supah soldiers or somethin like dat, some of 'em go crazy actually, it's hard ta control yer emotions after they do the shit to ya. Others get freakish powers, most just have der basic senses sharpened, an' dey get physically stronger." Volkochev explained.

Krys looked confused "That's the entirety of my questions for now, We'll speak again at a later date." with that, she stood up, walking back into the room and sitting on her bed. "My king..." she whispered "What are you doing?"

Outside the room, Volkochev lowered his eyes to sleep, as Whyt opened his, ending his charade of sleeping. He sat up, having heard their whole conversation. "...I have to look into this..." came his determined voice.

* * *

YES! Another Update, thanks for bearing with me. R&R please and tell your friends about this story. :) Btw, depending on certain factors I may or may not be changing the rating to M, so if you're looking for this one day and can't find it, it's most likely because I've changed the rating.


End file.
